Our third countdown to beta launch giveaway is here! Congratulations to Samantha, who was the winner of our second giveaway for an HD waterproof video camera, and to everyone who shared their great ideas on what they would use extra time for.
This week’s giveaway focuses on another great benefit of using Alice—avoiding the chore and hassle of driving/walking/busing/hitchhiking to the store for household essentials. Shopping trips should be fun; trekking to the store repeatedly for toilet paper and dish soap isn’t. We can’t wait to take that trip for household products off your to-do-list.
So we want you to get it all out. Vent. Spill everything. What was your worst shopping experience or trip to the store? Did you wait twenty minutes in line? Get insulted on the subway? Did your daughter knock over a display? Did you forget your wallet? Were you treated rudely? Do you have to drive fourteen miles? Or maybe you have to bring three kids along each time?
The suffering is almost over… in fact we can’t get much closer to launch. And since the giveaways keep getting bigger, this week we’re excited to give away a $600 credit on Alice for some lucky user, which equates to roughly 6 months free for the average user. All you have to do to enter is share your story (see details below).
So tell us…
What was your worst shopping experience?
This week’s winner will receive:
(1) Six months worth of Alice.com via a $ credit (a $600 value)
(1) An Alice.com t-shirt
HOW TO ENTER
You can enter in two different ways. You can only use each way once, but can use each option for up to three different chances to win. We’ll choose the winner using a random number generator.
Option 1 – Post about the giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, or FriendFeed (counts as one entry)
1. Spread the word about the giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, or FriendFeed. Here’s a suggested update (but feel free to be creative!): Win a $600 shopping spree from Alice.com! – http://tr.im/oMss
AND
2. Leave a comment on this post telling us about your worst shopping experience. Include the link to your tweet or update with your comment.
Option 2 – Post about the giveaway on your blog (counts as two entries)
1. Write a blog post (or do a video post) about your worst shopping experience and link to us in your post.
AND
2. Leave a comment on this post. Include the link to your blog post with your comment.
RULES
Winner of the giveaway will be awarded a credit of $600 in an Alice.com account and an Alice.com t-shirt with a combined estimated retail value of $610 dollars. Must be eligible for, and maintain a valid Alice.com account to claim prize. Giveaway is open to legal U.S. residents 18 or older residing in the 48 continental United States (includes DC). Void where prohibited. Employees (and their immediate families and households) of Alice.com, Inc. are not eligible. Giveaway entries will be accepted until Saturday, June 20 at 11:59 pm. Winning entry must provide a valid email address (Alice.com will never sell or rent your e-mail to third parties). We will notify the winner by email on or before Monday, June 22. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to us with their name and valid U.S. mailing address. If this information is not received within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Sponsor: Alice.com, Inc.
This giveaway ends Saturday, June 20 at 11:59 pm. We look forward to hearing from you!
My worst shopping experience was when I was shopping with my toddler. He strated to throw a tantrum for no reason and I just couldn’t make him stop.I was trying very hard to confort him but nothing worked.I got the looks and the glance from strangers making me feeel like I was doing something wrong. I just left the store and left everything behind in the cart.
Oh my what an awful experience.
http://twitter.com/lapucette
hmmm, my worst shopping trip??? has to be the day i loaded up the kids (all 9 of them) each in their own little crate – car seat, and we went to the local – - -. hardly a block from the house and the yowling – whining, starts. one doesn’t like where he is sitting, one doesn’t like the crate – car seat, one wants to be by the window, one is cold, one is car sick … you get the idea. we finally get to the store, everyone is leashed – yes leashed, with 9 you don’t to loose anyone, and you go in the door. AND THEY SCATTER! as far as the leash will let them. every time you make a corner you have to stop and count to make sure you have them all. getting through the store with the 9 the growling – crying, and scratching and biting – i do mean scratching and biting, is a real trick. with all the extras they somehow manage to get in the cart. the bill is over $200 (mostly cat food – i mean snacks) back in the car, in rush hour, to the house, to unload. whewww!
posted on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fascat?ref=profile
My worst experience was when I went to Walgreens and I had a coupons I printed from the internet for a cold medicine that was going to make it free with RR’s. Well the cashier called over the manager and he asked me for my ID to prove that the name that printed on the coupon was me. I was shocked! “I told him you want to see my ID for a coupon!” he then begin this long speil about how people are cheating the store with fake coupons. I was just in shock how rude he was and I blew up at him and told him that “I was not a thief,and that I didnt appreciate being treated like one” and that me and as many people that I could tell would not frequent his store if that is how they feel about their shoppers.
Side note: He is no longer the manager there.(not because of me)
Tweet!
https://twitter.com/SeeryusMama/status/2237760441
seeryusfam@msn.com
It’s impossible to shop with my children anyway…I have a 9 year old who’d rather wash dishes and clean house than go grocery shopping and a 21 month old who is, well…a toddler.
Toddler + Shopping = A personal hell.
So picture it…2009 May. No groceries or toilet paper in the house…we had to go to the store. My son wasn’t happy, (see dishes comment above), my daughter was feeling noisy that day. When we finally get to Wal-Mart (I have no shame, I’ll call myself out!) my daughter decides she’s NOT going to ride in the cart and if you think about putting her in the cart she’ll scream bloody murder. The type of scream that makes you wish you were shoving toothpicks directly into your eardrums. So, we’re walking along…at a snails pace mind you, and Paige is “helping” push the cart. After she just about takes out grandma down one isle, I plead with my son to keep his sister occupied. Then she spies the toys. They browse, while I finish getting the shampoos, soaps and hairspray. When I catch up with them, Paige has her little arms full of “babies”, and Johnny wants a $100.00 Lego set. When I say no to each, they turn on Mama. At that point, I figured if we could just get some toilet paper and something quick for lunch we’d be great. I would come back after dinner, sans children, to finish my shopping.
Anyway, my kids had the case of the “Gimmies”, rainboots for Pea and video game for John….finally we pick up some TP all while I’m singing over and over and over a particular verse from “I Dreamed a Dream” it goes like this…
I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I’m living,
So different now from what it seemed…
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed…
It just seemed fitting, and normally I have great kids….just kids who aren’t into grocery shopping. Finally, I pick up enough for lunch and we head out. We had already been there for an hour and a half and had little to show for it. I think that was the last time I’ve taken the kids out to the store. They aren’t naughty…but I think something was in the air that day. If you happened to be in that Wal-Mart…my apologies!
seeryusfam@msn.com
http://twitter.com/hminnesota/status/2237881940
tweeted
my most disappointing shopping experience – went to Walmart very late night to do grocery shopping so kids won’t bother me..I forgot the wallet and had to leave cart full of things there. I really felt sorry for the people working there too.but didn’t have energy to go 5 miles and come back again.
My worst experience was when shopping at Sam’s Club for a camera. Waited in line to check out with the with the slip for the camera: 15 minutes. Waiting in line at customer service after having paid, to get said camera: 45 minutes. Frustration!
Whoops! http://twitter.com/rts/status/2242847218
Worst ever was black friday 2008.
Nightmares!
I HATE facing that wall of toilet paper and being forced to choose which one on the spot. Strong? Soft? Quilted? Double rolls? Triple rolls? Ack!! It gives me a migraine thinking there are so many varieties!
facebooked:
http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=683375036&ref=nf
I RT the contest on Twitter (http://twitter.com/feix62/status/2243690590) I took all 4 of our girls shopping. I always let the older 2 push their own “little shopping carts” , that they provide at Market Street. I loaded the babies into the cart, and of we went. The girls always do their “shopping” in front of me. As I went along marking off items from my list, and stopping twice to get the “binky” the baby dropped in her seat …. I hear my 10yr old reading LOUDLY the instructions on the use of tampons and sanitary napkins to the 6yr old! By the time i looked up, the 6 yr old was covered from head to toe with panty liners and the thick night time sanitary pads. A crowd had started to form,and some giggling as well. Then the dramatics kicked in, and the 6 yr old realized they were laughing at her. She ran as fast as she could , still covered in pads and liners, followed by my 10 yr old and me pushing the cart (with 2 babies) as fast as I could to catch up to them. The crying and screaming was beginning to get drowned out by all the laughter. If it were not for the kindness of a Mother , seeing a Man looking like a blubbering idiot, I don’t know what I would have done. She was a local Teacher that knew my 10 yr old. Teachers are wonderful. She helped my explain to one, calm down and remove all the EXTRAS from the other, all the while bouncing my new born to keep her calm! Men, groceries and little girls just don’t mix as easy as they use to for me! I have never taken more than 2 at a time since.
Worst ever experience was when I got treated like a fraud for using coupons at Rite Aid.
I posted update on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=118307510830&h=OAhyP&u=jvEbM&ref=nf
My worst shopping experience was a few years ago grocery shopping… It was a big trip and I filled my cart up with all the goodies we would need for the week plus a special birthday party. I got to the line, placed all my items on the belt… chatted with the cashier as she rang me up.. told the bagger girl.. paper please! And then the cashier gave me my total… in that instant I realized I didn’t have my purse! I had no money, no credit cards.. nothing! I must have been completely spaced out.. at first I thought I must of lost it in the store or it was stolen but as I retraced my steps in my head.. I realized I hadn’t even brought anything to the store… I was absolutely horrified and embarrassed!
I tweeted : http://twitter.com/mygoodcents/status/2250236061
I tweeted – http://twitter.com/cravingsavings/status/2250311889
My worst shopping experience started with spending hours pulling together coupons that were unorganized, followed by trip to Walmart where I got the most ill-informed cashier ever who had to lick his fingers before touching anything people were purchasing (unfortunately I didn’t notice this until I was near the front and the lines were horrendously long and I was late). The cashier wouldn’t let me use my coupons stating they’d make the items free. I said that was the point and asked for the manager who agreed with the cashier – “no free product!” For one item that cost $32 and I had a “free” coupon up to $29.99, I offered to pay the difference and was rejected – they said I had to get the item for free or not get it at all. Ummmmm? So I gathered my coupons, left the products at the register and said I’d take my business somewhere else. I went to my car to find someone had dinged it with a shopping cart.
I tweet
http://twitter.com/Nightowlmama/status/2250369815 (heres the link for my above tweet)
My worst shopping experience ever was a trip to a Mexican retail store where no one spoke English. My 2 yr old daughter wondered away from me and snuck up inside the rack. I noticed she disappeared and began to get frantic. I started calling her name, and couldnt’ find her. I went to the front desk to ask them to give me help finding her and NO ONE understood me. Finally a customer was able to translate but they wouldn’t lock the door til’ we found her. THis was a huge store like a Target.
I began to cry as we searched for her thinking every horrible thought about kidnapping and such. She’s adopted so you can just imagine how I was feeling. Here I can’t hang on to my daughter for just a second then she disappears.
Then a women came to me and she said “I show you” then she brought me to a rack and pulled back the clothes there was my Daughter GIggling so softly as if she just ate the last cookie. So innocent so unknowing she almost gave mommy a Heart attack. Definitely my worst shopping trip ever.
Two entries for me, please.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=655815654&ref=profile
https://twitter.com/SeamlessMelody
Groceries being bagged, waiting for payment…
find out at check out counter, left wallet in car!
Long line behind me, two hungry children, and an exasperated mom.
http://twitter.com/JodieBerseth There’s the link for my tweet!
My worst shopping experience? Ugh. There was a mom in front of me at Wal-Mart paying with “WIC coupons.” (These are a form of state financial assistance that make it possible for families to buy healthy foods for their children). It takes a bit longer to pay this way and I didn’t mind at all. The part of this trip that makes me “ugh” is when the cashier says to me, WHILE THE MOM WAS STILL GETTING HER THINGS TOGETHER, “Sorry that took so long. Those people have no idea how inconvenient it is to redeem these during busy hours.” I was horrified. And replied with a, “That’s okay. You people have no idea how you rude you are whenever you apparently open your mouth.”
I tweeted (late). This one has taken some thinking. There has not been any single shopping trip that has been “the worst” for me. I just hate having to take the time out of my life to do this twice a week (because I buy all fresh fruits and veggies). I hate having to carry all the bags across the apartment parking lot, and up to my fourth floor apartment. I hate having to make multiple trips. I hate having to wait in line to pay (the worst part of every experience). I hate having to push the full cart to my car parked 5 miles away, up hill both ways. OK, maybe not that one.
This said, I did have to go today. I went to pick up prescriptions and a few extra things since i was going anyway. The lines at the regular registers were 5+ deep. There was no one at the 4 self checkout lanes, and there was one person in process of checking out at the 12 and under lane and 20 and under lane. I went into one of the 20 and under lane (mind you, I am usually quite the stickler for the express rule). I wait my turn with all my goods now on the belt. As the cashier begins to scan my items, someone comes up in the line behind me (other two express lanes and all self checkouts still empty), and begins to harass me about having too many items. He counted my items on the belt, and advised me I had 25 items. I politely asked him if he would feel better if I removed 5 items, which I gladly would have done. He continues mumbling about how I am a rule breaker and such and I should switch lanes (we are half way through the ringing up at this point). I explained that wouldn’t happen, but I would still be glad to remove 5 items. As he continued his rant, the cashier finished checking me out, and I was on my way. Grrr.
I blogged too before the deadline!
This is an easy one – I was humiliated! I forgot my credit card at home and when I got through the check out line, I was mocked by the cashier. I ran home (5 minutes away,) got my card, returned to the store and was promptly greeted by the cashier with an announcement over the intercom calling the manager and stating that the “No Money Girl” had returned to pick up her groceries. HA! Haven’t been back to that store since!!
Tweeted http://www.twitter.com/blondie574
Here’s my link to my entry:
http://www.facebook.com/czardastx
Here’s the link to my Facebook entry: http://www.facebook.com/home.php
My worst shopping trip was when my daughter was three years old. I had no money, and was desparate to make some, so that I could get us out of an abusive relationship. I knew I had to brush up on my typing skills to get a job, so I drove to the closest office supply store to get some of that “cleaning paper” stuff to get the typewriter keys un-sticky….(this was before computers). I finally got the attention of a crabby old lady clerk and told her what I needed. She said, reluctantly, that she’d have to go upstairs to get that…..and with a sour look, she started up. And we waited and waited…..and waited.
Then my little one, started whining that she had to use the bathroom….and I asked her to wait a minute. She became more insistant and louder in her request.
The clerk finally returned with a packet of this special paper, and it was priced higher than the amount of money in my pocket. I asked her if I could purchase just a couple pages??? (In the meantime, my little girl is stating loudly, and holding her backside, saying “MOM< I”VE GOT TO GO POOP!”
This pompas “lady” bluntly told me she could not open the packet of special paper, and never so much as offered to allow my 3 yr old a restroom! So, hanging my head, and dragging my poor little one by the hand, we left the store, and drove back home, crying….We had used all the small amount of gas in the car, and came home empty handed, and none closer to getting out of our bad domestic situation.
RT @alice: Just a few hours left to enter our $600 shopping spree! – http://tr.im/oMss $600…free…enter NOW!
I don’t shop in stores often. Most of the purchases I make are online. However, on accasion I will head to the local grocery store to pick up some essentials. The following is an example of why I do not frequent stores…especially with my children.
We were visiting Waupaca and needed some itmes from the store. I offered (Why?) to take our 2 year old and 6 year old to the local Pick N Save. Nicole (ex-fiance and 1st wife) cautioned me against allowing our daughter Grace to “roam free”. Nicole’s last words as we walked out the door were “Put her in the cart, get in and get out”.
My son assured me he would “hold” Grace’s hand in the store so I opted to allow some shopping freedom to the toddlers. I kept them in my sight but not within my reach. To my complete embarassment, and within the blink of an eye, Grace toppled the ENTIRE M&M display at the end of aisle 5. With toilet paper in one hand and taco sauce in the other, all I could do was apologize.
Help me Alice…you’re my only hope!
My worst shopping experience was when I couldn’t find the right diapers, my cell phone ringing from work, and a new born baby at home waiting for those diapers. Running out of gas in front of the house to boot just as I hurried home.
Pondering- if Netflix and the Sims videogame had a baby it would be Alice.com
http://www.twitter.com/mjndrum
I blogged about it here. http://bit.ly/yhwYb
Tweeted:
http://twitter.com/Mel4Him/status/2757454423
My worst shopping experience was the day I took my son (age 3 or 4, I believe) to Target and we were looking through the toy section for fun. You know kids. It doesn’t matter where you go they always want to look at the toys. So I figured that would be okay. Well during our visit to the toy department my son had seen a Thomas the Tank engine train and he wanted me to buy it. And of course I told him no and gave him the reasons why I couldn’t at the moment. Well, did that spark a fit. lol. He got so upset and was crying so much and so hard that he made himself sick all over Target’s lovely floor. Ugh! I was so embarrassed but later on I felt so bad because maybe I should have known better and went about the toy department a little differently. Anyhow he’s now age 7 so those times have past. While we still have those moments of whining sometimes. At least there is no more tantrums or fits of crying.
That’s the one great thing about Alice. No toy department. lol. I think I really need Alice.
They are all bad. Since becomming a military widow I have to pay everyone for everything. It costs me $25.00 and hour to even have someone come in and replace ceiling light bulbs, clean the ceiling fan, or even change the battery in the smoke detector. I am not old enough for Meals on Wheels, but I understand that they provide only 10 meals TOTAL for 14 days. I guess I am not supposed to not be hungry but once a day for 10 days. The other four day I am supposed to be hungry all day. Since my late husband was career military, I don’t have the core support of friends to help. The last and only 4 people I hired to help me have all stolen from me. I don’t know why I am posting this here, I just don’t understand the rules. If I wasn’t in such pain, I might be able to understand the rules. I am so sorry!
I will never shop at Burlington Coat Factory ever again. I was in line behind a woman who was trying to exchange a dress she bought there for her daughter, the tags were still on it but she didn’t have the receipt. the other dress she wanted instead was the same price but the store refused to do it. The store manager and women argued back and fourth until I got feed up and told the manager she should do the exchange for ” customer satisfaction”, she said that wasn’t the stores policy. I told her my policy wasn’t to shop at a store so unreasonable and left my planned purchases on the counter and walked out.